Regional Comparisons (Part 1)

How Large is Your Regional?

Within the REALTOR© community, there are several different organizational layers -- real estate offices, local Associations, state Associations, a national Association, and regionals.

There are regionals scattered throughout the continent, each with their own set of rules, system guidelines, corporate concepts, etc. Part One of this article shows the basic numeric comparisons among the largest regionals in the nation, based on 1998 data. Part Two, to be included in the November/December issue of this newsletter, will focus on computer system differences, services and products offered, and staffing levels.

The following regionals were chosen due to their large size and/or proximity to MLSNI:

Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS)

Phoenix, AZ

RE Infolink

Campbell, CA

So. California MLS (SOCALMLS)

Anaheim, CA

CRIS-NET Regional MLS

Van Nuys, CA

Toronto Real Estate Board (TRB)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Metrolist

Greenwood Village, CO

MLS of Northern Illinois (MLSNI)

Lisle, IL

MAP MLS (MAP)

Palatine, IL

Heartland MLS (HMLS)

Overland Park, KS

Metro. Regional Info. Systems (MRIS)

Rockville, MD

MLS Property Info. Network (MLSPIN)

Worcester, MA

Realcomp II

Farmington Hills, MI

Regional MLS of Minnesota (RMLS)

St. Paul, MN

MLS of Long Island (MLSLI)

West Babylon, NY

No. Ohio Regional MLS (NORMLS)

Valley View, OH

TReND

King of Prussia, PA

Northwest MLS (NWMLS)

Kirkland, WA

Metro MLS (Metro)

Wauwatosa, WI

MLSNI’s "ranking" in each category has been highlighted.

NUMBER OF OFFICES SERVED

This category reflects the number of offices each regional has listed in its database. Number discrepancies occur when there are large conglomerates that house several hundred listing agents.

275 MAP 1,536 MLSLI

520 HMLS 1,689 ARMLS

602 NORMLS 1,913 CRIS-NET

940 Metro 2,333 MLSPIN

1,100 RMLS 3,000 MRIS

1,200 Realcomp 3,300 Metrolist

1,203 TReND 3,777 MLSNI

1,519 NWMLS 5,000 SOCAL

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink or TRB

Although SOCAL has only 14,200 agents, it is the largest in terms of offices served (see following data). It is assumed that this area of California must have a much higher ratio of small, one-person offices.

NUMBER OF LICENSEES AND APPRAISERS

4,500 MAP 12,000 MLSLI

4,850 Metro 12,200 ARMLS

4,900 HMLS 13,662 CRIS-NET

7,000 NORMLS 14,200 SOCAL

9,000 RMLS 15,818 NWMLS

9,400 Realcomp 20,000 TRB

11,000 RE Infolink 22,118 MRIS

11,000 Metrolist 26,796 MLSNI

11,000 TReND

*This figure was not available for MLSPIN

When MRIS created it’s regional a little under two years ago, they claimed to be the largest multiple listing service in terms of subscribers. MLSNI still surpasses MRIS’s subscriber rate by well over 4,000 licensees and appraisers.

NUMBER OF ACTIVE LISTINGS

11,000 NORMLS 24,187 ARMLS

12,718 CRIS-NET 26,000 MLSLI

13,264 HMLS 28,658 MLSPIN

14,000 Metrolist 32,148 NWMLS

14,000 MAP 35,000 TRB

16,400 Metro 36,412 TReND

18,000 RMLS 73,329 MLSNI

22,620 Realcomp 73,654 MRIS

24,000 SOCAL

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink

MLSNI and MRIS clearly outrank the other regionals in this category by over 40,000 listings, which can be attributed to the large number of licensees and appraisers affiliated with both of these organizations. 12,718 active listings in the CRIS-NET database is a surprising figure taking into account they are one of the larger regionals with over 13,000 licensees and appraisers.

NUMBER OF LISTINGS SOLD - 1997

22,000 MLSLI 43,773 TReND

23,000 NORMLS 47,582 ARMLS

25,000 MAP 49,000 RMLS

25,880 Metro 50,000 TRB

26,948 HMLS 60,667 MLSPIN

29,533 CRIS-NET 62,102 NWMLS

33,536 Realcomp 78,186 MRIS

40,000 SOCAL 96,888 MLSNI

42,000 Metrolist

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink

NUMBER OF ANNUAL LISTINGS

40,000 HMLS 73,000 MLSLI

43,094 CRIS-NET 89,584 TReND

44,000 Metro 90,000 SOCAL

46,000 NORMLS 91,000 Metrolist

52,000 MAP 100,000 NWMLS

58,737 MLSPIN 201,780 MRIS

65,000 Realcomp 250,935 MLSNI

70,000 ARMLS

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink, TRB and RMLS

The figures for the Number of Listings Sold in 1997 and the Number of Annual Listings should be interpreted in conjunction, and as percentages instead of pure numbers. Although Metro only sold 25, 880 listings in 1997, they carry 44,000 listings annually, which means they sell 59% of their listing stock each year. MLSNI sold 96,888 listings in 1997, but carries 250,935 listings annually, giving your regional a selling percentage of only 39%.

TOTAL NUMBER OF LISTINGS

[See above graph]

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink and TRB

Again, MLSNI is the largest in terms of total listings. This may be due to MLSNI being one of the more established regionals and having had more time to compile information. This number also depends upon the amount of information each regional is willing to retain in addition to the capacity of the regional’s on-line computer system.

The next statistic, Number of Public Records, reflects the amount of tax information included on each regional’s database.

NUMBER OF PUBLIC RECORDS

0 NWMLS

526,825 HMLS

750,000 Realcomp

993,643 CRIS-NET

1,000,000 ARMLS, NORMLS

1,200,000 Metrolist, Metro

1,400,000 MLSLI

1,600,000 RMLS, TReND

2,500,000 MLSPIN

2,644,414 MLSNI

3,000,000 SOCAL, MRIS

*This figure was not available for RE Infolink and TRB

As you can see, you belong to the largest multiple listing service in terms of Number of Licensees/Appraisers, Number of Listings Sold in 1997, Number of Annual Listings, and Total Number of Listings. This gives you a definite advantage when trying to list and sell properties in Northern Illinois due to the tremendous amount of information available at the click of a mouse.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT (CEO Talk)

The goal of the MLSNI Help Desk is to answer your questions or resolve your situation on the first call. If, however, your call is of a technical nature and the Help Desk representative has followed the prescribed line of questioning without satisfactorily addressing your situation, you will be referred to a Technical Support Rep (Tech).

Technical calls often take much longer as the Tech explores your situation in greater depth.

In today’s world we often take telecommunications for granted, however, they are amazingly complex. Each situation varies due to:

• different modems;

• different computers;

• different operating systems;

• different software;

• different telephone company switches;

• different telephone lines;

• different office or home telephone line setups;

• different people installing the computers;

• etc., etc.

The various combinations of these differences are endless. The impact of these differences often requires a lengthy line of questioning on the Tech’s part to determine how to handle your specific situation.

Your patience is important as the Tech works with you. At times a caller is exasperated, frustrated and in a hurry; this often hinders the "troubleshooting" process. It is important to do exactly as the Tech requests. If you work ahead or perform steps not instructed by the Tech, the desired results will not occur. This may cause the call to be longer, increasing your frustration level. As with the Help Desk, our qualified Technical Support department is here to HELP YOU!

If after several calls between you and the Tech the issue has not been resolved, a visit to your office may be necessary. Policy permits ONLY office visits and requires that the person in charge of the office be present for such a visit. (Home computers may be brought to your office for investigation by the Tech; home visits will not be made unless your home is registered as a real estate office with the State of Illinois.)

If you would like an office visit by one of our technicians, please send the postcard found in this newsletter complete with appropriate information. A Tech will contact you upon receipt of your card - don’t forget to include a contact number!

To reach the MLSNI Technical Support department directly, please call (630) 955-0011, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The MLSNI Help Desk can be reached at (630) 955-2755, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This newsletter’s guest writer for "CEO Talk" is Connie Pierrepont, MLSNI’s Director of Customer Support

1998 Statistics

NUMBER of Detached Single Family Homes Sold Between January 1 and May 31, 1998

1. 5728 RWS

2. 3363 CAR

3. 2753 SSW

4. 2208 LKC

5. 2007 NWR

6. 1769 WGA

7. 1562 NSH

8. 1369 MCH

9. 1086 ELG

10. 946 FOX

11. 393 WST

12. 305 OAK

13. 230 BAR

MEDIAN PRICE of Detached Single Family Homes Sold Between January 1 and May 31, 1998

1. $385,000 BAR

2. $295,000 NSH

3. $205,000 OAK

4. $195,000 NWR

5. $183,500 FOX

6. $173,500 RWS

7. $159,000 LKC

8. $156,000 MCH

9. $134,000 WGA

10. $133,000 ELG

11. $129,000 CAR

12. $118,000 SSW

13. $110,000 WST

AVERAGE PRICE of Detached Single Family Homes Sold Between January 1 and May 31, 1998

1. $442,110 BAR

2. $387,929 NSH

3. $230,493 OAK

4. $219,592 NWR

5. $207,752 RWS

6. $203,935 FOX

7. $185,623 LKC

8. $169,785 MCH

9. $159,926 CAR

10. $139,446 ELG

11. $139,286 WGA

12. $129,029 SSW

13. $112,175 WST

AVERAGE MARKET TIME of Detached Single Family Homes Sold Between January 1 and May 31, 1998

1. 132 BAR

2. 84 MCH

3. 76 SSW

4. 72 WST

5. 70 LKC

6. 68 FOX

68 ELG

8. 66 NSH

66 NWR

10. 65 WGA

11. 61 CAR

12. 60 RWS

13. 52 OAK

BAR=Barrington Area Association of REALTORS©; CAR=Chicago Association of REALTORS©; ELG=Elgin Area Association of REALTORS©; FOX=Fox Valley Association of REALTORS©; LKC=Lake County Association of REALTORS©; MCH=McHenry County Association of REALTORS©; NSH=North Shore Board of REALTORS©; NWR=Northwest Association of REALTORS©; OAK=Oak Park Board of REALTORS©; SSW=South/Southwest Association of REALTORS©; WST=West Towns Board of REALTORS©; RWS=REALTOR© Association of the Western Suburbs; WGA=Will-Grundy Association of REALTORS©

These statistics were pulled from the MLSNI Compass© computer system on Monday, June 8, 1998, using an AREA MARKET SURVEY (AMS). For assistance in using this Compass© feature, please contact the MLSNI Help Desk at (630) 955-2755.

From the Book Department...

(630) 955-0011

ORDER DEADLINE

The deadline for ordering books is the 15th of every month for the following month. For example, if you want books delivered in June, you need to place your order no later than May 15th.

ORDER FORMS

All orders must be submitted on a Book Order form (obtained through MLSNI) -- no phone orders will be taken. When requesting a form, indicate which Association/Board you are a member (the Chicago Association and North Shore Board orders are by individual agent -- all others order by office). MLSNI will only accept Book Orderforms that are complete and signed by the DR and/or Manager.

BOOK TYPES/FREQUENCY

Bi-weekly Area 1,2,3,4 and Chicago Residential Books

Monthly Commercial and all Sold Books

Year-end and 6 Month Sold Book orders are also accepted; call the Book Department for details.

MISSING BOOKS

The deadline for reporting missing books is five (5) days after the anticipated delivery date.

BOOK PRICES

MLSNI does not quote book prices. For pricing information on all books and photos, contact your Association or Board.

REPORTING PROBLEMS

When reporting a problem with your book order or delivery, please have the following information available: Office Name/ID Number, Agent Name/ID Number, Area Book Name, and Type of Book - Active, Sold or Commercial.

It’s HOT and We’re in HEAT!

HEAT? What do you mean you’re in HEAT?

HEAT is the Call Logging program utilized by MLSNI’s Help Desk, Rules & Regulations, and Technical Support departments to record your inquiries and conversations with members of the MLSNI staff.

When you call these departments, the first thing they ask for is your Agent ID Number (the code you use to access the MLSNI Compass© system). Your Agent ID is your unique identifier and the primary key for the HEAT Call Logging system. The majority of calls are logged using individual Agent ID numbers.

Once you give the MLSNI representative your Agent ID, a "Call Ticket" is opened and the details of your call are logged, i.e., the purpose of your call and the information disseminated by the MLSNI staff member.

How does HEAT help you, our Subscriber?

1. If you feel you were given incorrect information, this "Call Ticket" can be retrieved and reviewed.

2. If you have been issued a "waiver code" by MLSNI’s Rules & Regulations department, it is entered on a "Call Ticket".

3. The statistics derived from the call records allow MLSNI to identify trends with problems relating to the MLSNI Compass© system, telecommunications inconsistencies, difficulties with access software, etc.

The statistics derived from the call records allow MLSNI to review and, if necessary, modify the contents and structure of its training classes.

What is the value of HEAT to MLSNI?

1. Keeps a record of the number of calls received in each of the departments utilizing the Call Logging system, the length of these calls, and the reason for the calls.

2. Identifies problems with the MLSNI Compass© system telecommunica-tions inconsistencies, difficulties with access software, etc., and to take steps to resolve these issues.

4. Highlights staffing needs and hours for each department based upon call volume and hours of peak call time.

5. Provides a breakdown of the most commonly asked questions regarding the MLSNI Compass© system and the MLSNI Rules & Regulations. This allows the successful publication of "Tips of the Week" and newsletter articles, and a review of MLSNI’s training classes and possible modification of these classes.

6. Allows the Technical Support department to pull reports of all calls received from an office prior to the representative actually visiting that office, giving them more detailed information on what problems the office may have experienced over a period of time.

All in all, both you and MLSNI get great value from HEAT; and the above benefits are not finite. MLSNI is continuously looking at more ways that we can benefit from being in HEAT!

Geek Speak: VIRUS PROTECTION

This month, I will be addressing the issue of VIRUS PROTECTION -- one of the most important aspects of maintaining your PC. With more people sharing information via the Internet, office networks, and passing diskettes between one another, the potential for a virus contaminating your PC becomes a very good possibility. I will discuss what a virus is, and how to keep them from harming your PC.

A VIRUS is a program that was written by someone who "isn’t very nice". The program is written with the intent to cause harm to your PC. Originally, viruses were written innocently by people wishing to create artificial intelligence; the thinking was that a self-replicating program would evolve. Over time, more people started writing these programs to "attack" the computers that they infect.

There are over 12,000 known viruses in existence, with more being written each and every month. The result of having a virus on your PC may be nothing more than a nuisance, or may cause total loss of your operating system and of all your data, depending on which virus your PC is infected with. It is important to protect your PC and all of your valuable data by having a virus protection program.

VIRUS PROTECTION SOFTWARE

is widely available from a number of vendors at a relatively low cost. This software runs on your PC and scans your hard drives, boot sectors, floppy drives, and any new files loaded onto your PC. This scan detects known viruses and attempts to clean the virus from your system or deletes the virus that contaminated your PC or media. Many hardware vendors include a virus protection program when you purchase a new PC. I strongly urge you to have a program installed, if you don’t have one already.

It is important for you to update your virus protection program on a regular basis. Since new viruses are constantly being written, you must make sure you have the latest version of your virus protection software loaded on your PC. Most vendors have an Internet site where you can download the latest version of the software, or they will even send the updates to you in the mail. Check your vendor’s site on a regular basis to ensure you have the "latest and greatest" versions of their software.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure.

In Other Words.....Rules & Regulations Info, Plain and Simple

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS

The MLSNI Rules & Regulations were developed by the MLSNI Board of Directors and are updated periodically by the Rules & Regulations Committee. Both the Rules & Regulations Committee and the MLSNI Board of Directors are comprised of one representative from each of the thirteen Shareholder Associations/Boards. Any suggestions for changing the Rules should be directed, in writing, to the Rules & Regulations Committee representative from your Association/Board.

RULES & REGULATIONS DEPARTMENT

The responsibility of the MLSNI Rules & Regulations Department is to maintain a clean and accurate database that will completely service your buyers and sellers while following the MLSNI Rules & Regulations. The Rules & Regulations Department reviews all new Property Type 1,2,3,4 listings on a daily basis and processes all Quality Control complaints which are checked for legitimate violations.

Due to the volume of calls the Rules & Regulations Department receives on a daily basis, when you call, staff members may be assisting other callers. Your call will then be placed in call queuing or voicemail; please be assured that all calls are promptly returned. When leaving a voicemail message, please provide the following information:

• Your Office and Agent Identification Number

• Your Office and Agent Name

• If the notice is a Listing Complaint Notification, a Notice of Assessment of Fine, or an Automatic Fine

• The reason you were/could be fined

By providing this information, you will give the staff the opportunity to completely research the situation prior to returning your call. All calls to the Rules & Regulations Department are logged into the HEAT call logging software (see article on page 4 of this newsletter) in order to create a permanent record for future reference.

COMPLAINT NOTIFICATION or NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT

When you enter a new listing in the MLSNI Compass© system, the Rules & Regulations Department checks it for accuracy. If an infraction is found, the Broker in your office will be sent a Complaint Notification. Unless the fine is considered "Automatic", you will have 72 hours to correct the infraction. If a correction is not made, the Broker will receive a Notice of Assessment for $100.

FILING AN APPEAL

If your office receives a Complaint Notification and fails to correct the infraction within the required time, or you receive an automatic fine, you will receive a Notice of Assessment of Fine. Your office then has twenty (20) days to file an appeal. An appeal form can be requested by calling (630) 955-0011 and asking for the Rules & Regulations Department. Please follow the directions and enclose all necessary documents within the required timeframe. Incomplete packets or appeals filed after the deadline will be automatically denied.

PRE-REVIEW PANEL

Appeal files are forwarded to a Pre-Review Panel, as stated in the MLSNI Rules & Regulations. The Panel, which conducts pre-reviews on a monthly basis, either forwards the fine to a hearing or returns the file based on the information provided.

HEARINGS

Hearing Panel consists of members from each of the Shareholder Associations/Boards. Every attempt is made to hold hearings on a consistent basis, in a convenient location, and in a timely manner. Please be advised that NAR rules prohibit Hearing Panel members from discussing the case prior to, during, or after a hearing. All questions are to be directed to the MLSNI Rules & Regulations Department at

(630) 955-0011.

VIOLATIONS

72 HOUR NOTICE

A field on your listing is either missing or inaccurate and must be corrected within 72 hours to avoid a fine; this notice includes directions on how to correct the infraction.

AUTOMATIC FINE

If your office fails to either input a listing or report a status change within the required 72 hours, an automatic fine is issued. The fine will

be invoiced through your Association/Board if you do not file an appeal within twenty (20) days of the Notice of Assessment of Fine.

QUALITY CONTROL

Moore Data Management Services

Coming soon!!!

Work smarter and faster with the most powerful, integrated, database listing retrieval system in the industry.

MLS/Xplorer© gives Brokers and Agents secure, quick and easy access to up-to-the-second MLS data, public records, industry news, and mortgage information on the Internet.

4 Full MLS functionality

4 Real-time data access

4 Count on-the-fly

4 TCP/IP networking

4 Map search and display

4 Customized reports

4 Financial calculators

4 Listing input

4 Prospecting

4 Flyers, hotsheets and CMA’s

4 Saved searches

4 Spreadsheet export capability

4 Listing history

4 Tours and open houses

4 Routing information

4 Demographic information

4 Rosters

4 E-mail

4 Pager support

4 Public records information

This article was written by Moore Data Management Services and does not necessarily represent the opinion of MLSNI and its Shareholders.